330 



THE TRAILL FLYCATCHER. 



Yellow Warbler's, except that it is a trifle bulkier and not so well concealed. 

 It lacks, too, the cotton lining which is indispensible to the Warbler home. The 

 eggs might have been those of anAcadianFlycatcher,butthesituationofthenest 

 is entirely different, and its architecture as far removed as Gothic from Maori. 

 Or again the nests of the two species may be happily related by the compari- 

 son of cup and saucer. The cup of the Traill Flycatcher is normally two inches 



across by one and a half deep, inside. 



On June nth, 1901, while walking 

 through a dense clump of swamp 

 elms on the Olentangy levee, I spied 

 a nest of this bird at a height of 

 about ten feet. It was in a deli- 

 cate situation, but by resting 

 what seemed about one-half of 

 my avoirdupois on an elm sap- 

 ling, and entrusting the other 

 half to the air, I managed to 

 secure a glimpse into the nest. I 

 saw that it was good. The nest 

 itself was somewhat awry. It 

 had doubtless been planned 

 right in the first place, but the 

 last wind, or the rapid growth 

 of engaging twigs had lifted 

 one side higher than the other. 

 It contained four eggs, three 

 normal and fresh ; the other off 

 in every way, except as to size 

 and shape. The egg in ques- 

 tion was absolutely unmarked, 

 and bore every evidence of hav- 

 ing been exposed to the weath- 

 er for a great length of time. 

 It was porous with age and the 

 contents perfectly hard. How 

 it might have come into a nest 

 of recent construction along 

 with three fresh eggs I am 

 quite unprepared to say. 



Traill's Flycatcher is found 

 only in localities conforming to 

 rather exact requirements. The 



Photo 

 by the 

 Author 



VERY CONFIDING. 



ULE M THER FLYCATCHER APPEARS AGAIN 

 THE CENTER OF THE NEXT ILLUSTRATION. 



